Now Commenting On:

Nunez hoping to become an option at third base

Nunez hoping to become an option at third base

7/10/13: Robinson Cano gets territorial and takes exception to shortstop Eduadro Nunez fielding a popup on his side of second base

By Bryan Hoch
/
MLB.com |

LOS ANGELES -- Eduardo Nunez said that he planned to take ground balls at third base during infield workouts on Tuesday, looking for a new angle to stick in the Yankees' lineup with Derek Jeter back at shortstop.

The Yankees abandoned the idea of having Nunez play a utility role last season, saying he would only focus on playing shortstop in the future, but Nunez said he feels a tweak made with infield coach Mick Kelleher will reduce his throwing errors.

"Now that my arm action is better, I think I have a chance to play better," Nunez said. "I think I'm more confident to play third base. I'm not worried about throws."

Nunez made nine errors in 64 games at third base, a .920 fielding percentage, over three big league seasons. He said that he wouldn't mind expanding his range.

"I did it before. I had like eight years of playing short, and learning to play at the big league level -- playing third base, left field, right, second base," Nunez said. "I never played [elsewhere] in the Minor Leagues; just shortstop all my life. Learning to play different positions in the Major Leagues is now more easy after the past situation."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi seemed non-committal about the prospect of actually playing Nunez at third base.

"I don't know what we're going to do there," Girardi said. "I want to see him work out there a couple of days before we do anything."

Girardi also said that he was not ready to commit to Jayson Nix as the everyday third baseman; the team also has Brent Lillibridge available to play the hot corner.

"I'll look at it every day to see what we're going to do here," Girardi said. "There's nothing etched in stone. Third base has kind of been a revolving door a little bit. [Nix is] going to get his share of playing time there, and we'll move him around like we always did."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.